Game Changers FAQs

Whether you are taking part with a group of friends or going solo and livestreaming to your network of followers, virtual gaming is a mighty way to raise money for Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity. From the comfort of your gaming chair (or living room sofa!), you can invite people to join you online for a virtual tournament to really see once and for all who is the number one champion!

Thank you for levelling up and doing your bit to raise funds for babies, children and young people who need us when times are tough. No child or young person wants to be in hospital, but for those who need to be, ECHC is there to make the experience that little bit brighter. Your fundraising transforms bedsides into art galleries, waiting areas into discos and courtyards into concerts so that children feel less afraid, less isolated, and more supported all the way through their hospital journey.

1. Choose your players

One player – get yourself online and show off your gaming skills in a livestreaming marathon – ask for a set donation into your fundraising pot from those who want to login and watch.

  • Set up a profile on twitch – a popular livestreaming gaming platform that’s quick and easy to use.
  • Think about which games you enjoy playing the most and set yourself a timeframe for how long your live stream will take place – are you leveling up and playing for 24 hours?
  • Throw in extra challenges to your stream for extra donations e.g. invert your controls, do a silly dance, take forfeits.

Multiplayer – host an online gaming party for you and your friends!

  • Choose a date and time that work best for all your players and then workout how the tournament will work. You may just use a tournament mode already built into your chosen game.
  • Make things interesting – allow players to add in new rules, at the cost of an extra donation – for example, all players must play a round using one hand only.

2. Set up a JustGiving page

JustGiving allows people to donate directly without using cash. They can pay securely online knowing that their donation will be going to help transform the lives of children and young people in hospital.

You can put the link to your fundraising page directly onto your twitch livestream as well as link your twitch livestream video onto your JustGiving page.

3. Game away!

You’ve set your date and got your friends involved, now all that’s left is to get your challenge underway!

4. Keep tagging

Let us know about your gaming session and how much you’ve raised by tagging us on social media.

Hints and tips

  • During a live stream, keep doing regular shout outs to your friends and followers to remind them that you’re raising money for ECHC.
  • Consider how any planned fundraising online gaming events could affect other people.
  • Take regular breaks from your screen, have a walk around to stretch your legs and give your eyes a break.
  • Be safe! Don’t do anything illegal or dangerous. Do try and take reasonable care of health and safety to both you and other people.
  • Keep hydrated with water and power up with the right snacks – ditch the sugar and go for veg, wholegrains and protein to keep you fueled up.
  • We would encourage you to be considerate about the choice of game you decide to play when gaming and streaming whilst fundraising for ECHC. As a charity we don’t promote or condone violence or explicit content and as supporters of ECHC we hope that you understand that.
  • If you have any concerns over the content of someone’s stream you can let us know by emailing hello@echcharity.org.

Keeping safe

We want to make sure fundraising is safe and fun for everyone involved so please read the following guidelines.

  • If you or others taking part in fundraising are under 16, please check with your parent(s) and/or guardian(s) before undertaking any online gaming fundraising events. They may have to provide written permission for you to take part.
  • Be careful if you are collecting sponsorship money. Anyone of any age can have a fundraising page raising money for a charity on JustGiving, but anyone under the age of 13 needs to have a parent or guardian’s approval and help to create the page.
  • Choose your settings carefully – changing your privacy settings means that only people you choose can see whether you’re online, who you can play with, and what games you’re playing.
  • Don’t share details – you can make some great friends online, but it’s important to never share any personal details like your full name, address, phone number, or place of work.
  • Be cautious with downloads – always double-check your downloads and make sure it is published by a legitimate publisher. Downloading cheats or mods can contain viruses that damage your computer, or mobile, and give hackers access to your personal data.

For more advice on staying safe online and responsible gameplay, visit PEGI.

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